Mr. Jackson was spending his holiday on one of the West Indian Islands. As he rested quietly in the shade of a coconut tree by the seashore, the sun was slowly dipping in the west. He decided to take one more plunge into the cool ocean water before going home to his room.
He swam out a bit through the swells and was just about to turn back when he noticed a bottle bobbing up and down in the water.
He laid hold of it and brought it back to shore. He noticed that there was a bit of paper rolled up inside the tightly corked bottle. With great interest he removed the cork and pulled out the stained bit of paper. With amazement he read the following message:
“The ship Kent, Indiaman, is on fire. Elizabeth, Joanna, and myself commit our spirits into the hands of our blessed Redeemer. His grace enables us to be quite composed in the prospect of entering eternity.”
D. W. McGregor, Bay of Biscay.
As you may imagine Mr. Jackson’s curiosity was greatly aroused by this message, and he made inquiry to see if he could find out just what it all meant. At last he found out these facts.
Many years ago an English sailing vessel left London en route to India. When it arrived in the Bay of Biscay, a fire broke out when someone carelessly dropped a lantern. For several hours the hundreds of passengers faced death, either by fire or by drowning. Mr. McGregor was one of the officers, and feeling that all would likely perish, he wrote a few lines and enclosed his note in a bottle which he cast into the sea, hoping that the letter would turn up somewhere. Suddenly a glad cry was heard, “A sail under wind!” A ship had seen the Kent and was hastening to its aid. You will be glad to know that nearly all the passengers were rescued and taken back to England. I believe that Mr. McGregor and his wife and daughter were among those who were rescued. But I often think of the quiet confidence that he showed as he faced death. His message has still been preserved and can be read on the stained bit of paper.
Would his confidence be yours in the presence of death? You and I knew that vessels on the ocean are much different today from what they were in those days. But we also know that the day must come for each of us when we shall leave this world and step out into eternity. I am glad to be able to say, with Mr. McGregor, that I am trusting in my blessed Redeemer, and I hope you may be able to say the same.
The Lord Jesus Christ loves you and laid down His life in order that you too might know Him as your Saviour and your Redeemer.
ML 11/25/1956